Oct. 31, 2016
Chicago – Linebacker Zach Cunningham has been named as a semifinalist for the Butkus and Bednarik awards, two of college football’s most prestigious postseason individual honors.
Cunningham, a redshirt junior inside linebacker from Pinson, Ala., is among 12 semifinalists for the 32nd annual Butkus Award, who honors legendary defender Dick Butkus and is presented the nation’s top collegiate linebacker.
Cunningham is 18 semi-finalists for the 22nd annual Chuck Bednarik Award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club to the nation’s outstanding defensive player. Cunningham also is one of just four linebackers included among the Bednarik semifinalists.
Cunningham is the first Commodore linebacker named as a semi-finalist for the Butkus and Bednarik awards since Jamie Winborn was recognized in 1999.
Cunningham enters November as the Southeastern Conference leader with 85 total tackles, averaging 10.6 stops per game. He also ranks second in the league with 13.5 tackles for loss.
The 6-4, 234-lb. Cunningham has played exceptional against top competition. In four SEC games, Cunningham has been a one-man wrecking crew, averaging 13.8 tackles and 2.3 tackles for loss.
Cunningham was the consensus national defensive player of the week after a mid-October performance at Georgia, when he contributed a career-high 19 tackles, including a final stop on 4th-and-1 that clinched Vanderbilt’s 17-16 road victory over the Bulldogs. Among the organizations that recognized Cunningham were the Walter Camp Foundation, Maxwell Football Club/Bednarik Award, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)/Nagurski Trophy and CBSSports.com.
Nationally, Cunningham ranks eighth in tackles per game and sixth in tackles for loss. Cunningham has contributed 255 tackles and 36.5 tackles for loss during his Commodore career.
In 2015, he was a unanimous First Team All-SEC performer after contributed 103 tackles, the highest single-season total by a Commodore since 2009.
Joining Cunningham as Butkus Award semifinalists are Ryan Anderson and Reuben Foster, both of Alabama; Jerome Baker and Raekwon McMillan, both of Ohio State; Kendall Beckwith, LSU; Jack Cichy, Wisconsin; Jarrad Davis, Florida; Malik Jefferson, Texas; Josey Jewell, Iowa; Micah Kiser, Virginia; and Azeem Victor, Washington.
In addition to Foster and Davis, others joining Cunningham as Bednarik Award semifinalists are Jonathan Allen (DE), Alabama; Carl Lawson (DE), Auburn; Cordrea Tankersley (CB) and Christian Wilkins (DE) both of Clemson; Desmond King (CB), Iowa; Arden Key (DE) and Tre’Davious White (CB), both of LSU; Jabrill Peppers (LB), Michigan; Nate Gerry (safety), Nebraska; Ejuan Price (DE), Pittsburgh; Solomon Thomas (DE), Stanford; Derek Barnett (DE), Tennessee; Myles Garrett (DE), Texas A&M; Hunter Dimick (DE), Utah; and Budda Baker (safety), Washington.
Cunningham and the Commodores return to action this Saturday after a bye week, traveling to face the No. 11 Auburn Tigers. Kickoff is 11 a.m. CT., with ESPN providing national television coverage.
